In hopes of being inspired for today’s post, I looked back at my post on “What Success Looks Like”, my catalog of hopes for this blog when I began it at the beginning of 2010. I wrote:
"My latest posts are oysters."
One/Week is my creative incubator. It is a motivation to write, and a place where I can expand on new ideas that inspire me. And, by the end of the year, will reveal the themes I am most passionate about, guiding my future writing. It is a motivation to keep my photography fresh, to show the beauty of the things around us every day, and practice the art I love. It is also a way to put my craft in front of the eyes of others, and I hope it brings me more opportunities to make photos for other people. It is a motivation to find my voice – in words and pictures. One/Week is a way to inspire others to try the things I love, because I think others can love them too and enjoy life more because of it, and because sharing your passions is a way to connect with those that already love the same things you do. It is a way to continue, at a civilized pace, conversations about those things through the comments people make to my posts. At the end of the year, success is a friend thanking me for a delicious recipe, it is a beautiful photo I would never have taken if not to share here, it is the click of keys under my fingers as I write consciously and regularly, it is comments from readers who gain some insight or find some new thing to enjoy or pursue some thought farther than they might have otherwise because I brought it to their attention. It is a satisfying weekly discipline.
Motivation to write; a vehicle for finding my voice; a showcase for new photography work; a place to talk about ideas. A satisfying weekly discipline. A civilized pace.
Ahh.
I’m very tired of posting every day. Not so much because it’s hard (it is!) but also because I don’t love the “product” of daily posting. Part of what I have really loved about my blog was the opportunity to mull over an idea for a few days until it had gathered some luster, and begin writing when it was a pearl. My latest posts are oysters. I will continue to slog through this blogathon, but holy smokes am I sick of wordpress. Even the font disgusts me right now. The Monkey thinks I don’t love him anymore because of the time I’m spending writing. I need a nap desperately and have a late night and an early morning tomorrow – and instead, I’m here. Again. But, again, I’ve written.
Oysters aren’t so bad. Sometimes they’re delicious.
Image (c) Alicia Lee, via flickr
In meaning to go through more blog2010 bloggers, I’m starting to wonder if a lot of us are feeling this. (My blog yesterday was a crankier version of this, heh)
Not being able to mull it over and love the product is what gets to me the most. I went to my book shelf today for inspiration so that was a nice step in a different direction. But being so beat from changes at work I’m certain it came off just as selfabsorbed and tired sounding as the lot of them have been lately.
From what I’ve read of yours you just need a good meal or a nice outing event with friends and you’ll be back on point.
Yes, I have a bit of blog fatigue.
I have been trying to blog each morning so I don’t have that I have to blog feeling hanging over my head.
Lisa
http://www.singleparentsavings.wordpress.com
Katie: I feel your pain, literally. And I started posting every day a week before the blogathon started to share lots of tips on, for example, how not to get burned out posting every day, and for the first time a day or two ago my excitement about blogging just wasn’t there.
A couple things that help: when you get inspired for a post, create a draft in WordPress and write down whatever it was that came to you. Do it a lot and before you know it you have a bunch of ideas that you can add to and tinker with one’s ready to be done and turned into a post.
Pre-write at least a day in advance, or more if you can manage it. With one or two exceptions, I’ve pre-written every post for the past three weeks. It’s amazing how much less stressed I feel getting up in the morning knowing that the day’s post is already done.
Plan ahead. Before the blogathon started, I created a calendar and charted what I was going to write for the better part of six weeks – one week before the blogathon, the 31 days of the event, and a week’s worth of wrap up after. I haven’t ever done that before and I’m loving it. I’ve decided I’m going to try blocking out a month’s worth of posts from now on – giving myself room to change subjects if something comes up in the news I want to tackle right away. I started a twice a weekly paid blogging gig in April for SecondAct.com and am realizing that I really need to plan ahead for that one too or it saps too much mental energy during the week.
Use theme days – The only way I am able to blog and be the head blogathon cheerleader is by programming, running the same type of content certain days of the week. Friday’s I run a list of recommended reading for writers that I happened upon that week. Saturday’s is my “Around the Blogathon” round up of interesting posts I read by other blogathoners. Sunday’s I’m doing a ‘Best of WordCount,’ and running links to 4 to 6 of my older posts that revolve around a single subject: on Mother’s Day it was juggling work and life; this Sunday is a list of posts I’ve done on books for writers. Knowing in advance what’s coming up I do a better job of keeping an eye out for stuff I could use, and when I see it, I put it in WordPress (see above).
Write during your high energy time – I’m a morning person, so I love getting up at 5 or 6 a.m. and getting my blog writing out of the way for that day. I can usually finish a post in an hour, sometimes more, sometimes less. Somehow writing when I’m “on” doesn’t feel like such a chore.
Hope that helps. Hang in there!
Michelle Rafter
WordCount: Freelancing in the digital age
I hear you loud and clear, DragonKat. How we deal with creative exhaustion is one of things many of us are going to learn to do from this blogathon. Michelle has a lot of great suggestions. When I feel stuck for a post, I go around my house and take photos. Sometimes a theme pops out. Other times, I just post my favorites and say something cute (to me) like Paparazzi Tuesday. It works for me.
Know that you’re doing fine, DragonKat. It happens.
Thank you all for the advice, encouragement and commiseration! Michelle, I really appreciate your many suggestions.
Today is an easy one – I’ve got a full day of children’s photos to shoot and will undoubtedly share some of those. Amy, that is one of those refreshing things you were thinking of like a good meal or a night out with friends – to me, photo sessions, and the quiet editing work afterward, is very refreshing.
I do have a book to review, and Amy, loved the idea of just grabbing an old favorite off the shelf to share. Michelle, I might write up a few reviews and save as drafts for days I feel pressured.
I did a little planning ahead – just brainstormed some post ideas. I will revisit that and see which of those I could write in advance as well.
I do wish I could blog in the morning – right now it’s just not likely!
I get you too. Although I’ve had a heck of a lot of fun writing this month’s posts, I have to say I cringe a little when I go back and read them.
I’ve been using this blogathon kind of like the book The Artist’s Way uses morning pages: Get everything out, and get used to the creative process. So then hopefully what’s happening right now doesn’t matter as much as what you’re going to get out of it in the end. My challenge has been not to take myself too seriously and to post without obsessing; producing dreck is almost part of my mission statement!
It can be exhausting, though. Hang in there. I think you’re doing great.
I had a little bit of down time yesterday, and my post for the day was a photo-post, so I used the time to write the book review for the following day and I felt so great all day knowing that it was done!
Thanks all for the tips and encouragement. I made it through that slump!
Great discussion. I would just say that I really love what you’ve been doing for the blogathon. I like that there’s a bit less polish – it makes me feel more like I’m talking to you, and I think it lets out your more playful side. For example, your writing about cocktails… was it deep? No. Was it a total pleasure to read? Yes. You were just musing — even, dare I say, improvising
Figuring out just how pearly your ideas need to be before sharing them is part of finding your voice and place as a blogger, so grappling with this stuff is a sign of growth I think.
There have definitely been some days that I’ve felt like I’m blogging “just to blog,” not because I have anything specific I need or want to say. Interestingly, the first day I didn’t know what to write, I followed your lead and wrote 100 things about me — and, believe it or not, that is now the most popular post of mine. I thought it was way too fluffy and personal but people like it. Maybe blogging about ourselves, about life, art, and culture, doesn’t need to be so processed. Maybe readers like the access to US. How we’re experiencing life as it comes.
Again, I think we each individually need to figure out how comfortable we are with sharing “ideas in progress,” and how often we want to post, but I am learning from this blogathon that there is value in committing to a schedule and then sticking to it whether you feel like it or not…because sometimes the best stuff comes when you feel like there’s nothing to say.
“Figuring out just how pearly your ideas need to be before sharing them is part of finding your voice and place as a blogger, so grappling with this stuff is a sign of growth I think. ”
Thanks, Amanda! I like that thought: just how pearly your ideas need to be before sharing them.
I do know this: I really enjoy writing.
In my job, my writing style is not particularly welcomed. We’re scholarly, journalistic, and we never use an inappropriate number of commas. It’s such a refreshing experience to write in this blog as I freakin’ see fit. And on top of that, to hear other say they find my writing a pleasure to read – icing on my cake.